World premiere recording of Robert Xavier Rodriguez's De Rerum Natura.

Robert Xavier Rodriguez has been called “one of the major American composers of his generation” (Texas Monthly), and his music has been described as “richly lyrical” by Musical America. He first gained international recognition in 1971 when he was awarded the Prix de Composition Musicale Prince Pierre de Monaco. Other honors include the Goddard Lieberson Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He has served as Composer-in-Residence with both the San Antonio and Dallas symphonies, and he is on the faculty at the University of Texas at Dallas. This recording includes the world premiere of Rodríguez' De Rerum Natura from a live performance inaugurating the new Edith O'Donnell Arts & Technology Building at UT Dallas. Commissioned by the university for this occasion, De Rerum Natura is a 27-minute tone poem based on the Latin poem by Roman poet Lucretius. The young violinist Chloé Trevor is featured in the Mozart Violin Concerto. A rising star on today’s international violin scene, Trevor has won prizes at numerous competitions and been a featured soloist at venues such as Avery Fisher Hall and the Young Prague Festival.

Review:

[De Rerum Natura“…terrific work…a most attractive piece… Rodríguez writes in a neo-romantic musical language, with neo and romantic offered in equal portions…The finale was suitably exciting, and even offered some “big-band” sounds in the brass…Additionally, this work uses a solo violin and cello to great effect, and adding the harp to the combination was lovely…a perfect 10.” (TheaterJones.com)